3RD - National Futsal ChampionshipsFFA National Futsal …nationalfutsalchampionships.com.au/wp-content/uploads/... · 2017. 1. 5. · 2017 FFA National Futsal Championships 4 BY

3RD - 8TH JANUARY, 2017 - SYDNEY NSW

2017

2017 FFA National Futsal Championships

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MATCH SCHEDULE

Valentine Sports Park

Day First Game Starts Last Game Starts

Tuesday 3rd January 4:00 PM 9:00 PM

Wednesday 4th January 9:00 AM 7:00 PM

Thursday 5th January 9:00 AM 8:00 PM

Friday 6th January 9:00 AM 8:00 PM

Saturday 7th January 9:00 AM 3:00 PM

The Centre, Dural


Tuesday 3rd January 4:00 PM 4:00 PM





Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre






Blacktown Leisure Centre






Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre – Sunday 8th January 2017

COURT 1 COURT 2

8:30am - U12 Boys 8:30am - U13 Girls

9:45am - U14 Boys 9:45am – U13 Boys

COURT 3

11:15am – Powerchair 2:15pm – U16 Boys 5:15pm – U19 Women

12:15pm – U15 Girls 3:15pm – U17 Girls 6:15pm – U19 Men

1:15pm – U15 Boys 4:15pm – Open AWD Mixed

nationalfutsalchampionships.com.au

3footballaustralia.com.au

VALENTINE SPORTS PARK

VENUE MAP

On behalf of the Board and management of Football Federation Australia (FFA) I would like to welcome all players, officials and spectators to the 2017 FFA National Futsal Championships.

These National Championships are our biggest national tournament and have a long history in showcasing our nation’s best Futsal talent for boys and girls, men and women as well as Athletes with a Disability and Powerchair Athletes.

Futsal is an important part of our Whole of Football Plan which is the 20-year blueprint to make football the largest and most popular sport in Australia.

Futsal is specifically identified as a component to not only introduce and develop footballers, but to also provide an elite pathway for outstanding players to eventually represent Australia on the international stage.

Since our admission into the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2006, the number of opportunities for international Futsal competitions has increased markedly with regular club and national team fixtures in the AFC competition calendar.

Our Men’s National Futsal Team, the Futsalroos, performed admirably at this year’s FIFA Futsal World Cup in Colombia and they all have used this tournament as a springboard for their international careers.

In closing, I would like to thank our partners for their ongoing support also acknowledge the efforts of Football NSW for once again hosting the tournament this year.

Finally, best wishes to all players, coaches and match officials for the coming week. I trust that the tournament is highly competitive, entertaining and successful and played within the spirit of fair play and respect for all.

David Gallop Chief Executive Officer Football Federation Australia

FOOTBALL FEDERATION AUSTRALIA

TOURNAMENT RESULTS & LADDERSFor daily updated tournament results, ladders and news, visit

www.nationalfutsalchampionships.com.au

/nationalfutsalchampionships

FutsalChamps


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BY RUSS GIBBS

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW

Welcome to the 2017 FFA National Futsal Championships. Once again the cream of Futsal talent from around Australia will descend on Sydney for a week-long celebration of the indoor game as we look to crown the best teams in the country at their respective age-groups.

And it’s the perfect way to start a new year of Futsal following a tremendous 2016 season.

Not only did we see the Futsalroos qualify for the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Colombia, and defeat Mozambique before falling to a heart-breaking, and undeserved loss, to the Ukraine, but we also had the pleasure of watching Vic Vipers at the AFC Futsal Club Championship in Bangkok, where they lost narrowly to Thai super-club Chonburi Blue Wave, who finished third, and drawing 2-2 with eventual Champions Nagoya Oceans from Japan.

In the Puma F-League there were championship crowns for East Coast Heat in the Men’s competition and Galaxy FC in the Women’s competition in two absolutely sensational Grand Finals held at Valentine Sports Park in Sydney.

As the sport continues to grow worldwide the benefits of playing the game are being espoused by some of the greatest players on the planet. Indeed, it’s rare these days that you would hear of one of the superstars of

the game who didn’t hone their tricks and skills on the Futsal court. Indeed, the reasons to play the game are manifold but there’s no doubt that in Futsal players enjoy the challenge of playing a fast-paced-fun-skill-oriented game that test their abilities.

With limited space and constant pressure from the opposition, player’s technique, such as improved ball skills, thinking under pressure and understanding of the game is enhanced. Action is also continuous so players are forced to continue the play instead of stopping and watching and, perhaps the biggest advantage, players touch the ball much more often and so become comfortable in possession.

This week in Sydney will see a new generation of Futsal stars take to the courts in an effort to lead their side to glory. The action will be non-stop and there will be a guarantee of plenty of goals and goal-mouth thrills. The FFA National Futsal Championships also enables teams who would not normally meet to clash with the added bonus of the opportunity to meet new people and share ideas off-court.

In short it’s the perfect way to start 2017 and will provide those lucky enough to play, and watch the action, countless memories on which they will look back fondly in forthcoming years.



2016 RESULTS

2016 ROLL OF HONOUR

Age Group Champions Runners Up MVP of the Final

U12 Boys Solomon Islands NSW Metro Thunder Richard Sale (Solomon Islands)

U12 Girls Queensland Metro NSW Metro Thunder

U13 Boys Victoria Magic Queensland Metro Nicholas Kyranakis (Victoria Magic)

U14 Boys NSW Metro Thunder Queensland Metro Harry Fletcher (Queensland Metro)

U14 Girls NSW Metro Thunder Queensland Metro Sara Piriz (NSW Metro Thunder)

U15 Boys FFSA NSW Metro Lightning Louis Nye (FFSA)

U16 Boys NSW Metro Thunder Queensland Metro Hayden Macerola (NSW Metro Thunder)

U16 Girls NSW Metro Thunder FFSA Hannah-Rose Davey (NSW Metro Thunder)

U19 Men NSW Metro Thunder ACT Boomerangs Blue Matthew Mazevski (NSW Metro Thunder)

U19 Women NSW Metro Lightning NSW Metro Thunder Rhianna Pollicina (NSW Metro Thunder)

Open AWD Mixed Queensland Metro NSW Metro Thunder Joshua Long (Queensland Metro)

2016 FFA NATIONAL FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - FULL RESULTS

U12 Boys NSW Metro Thunder 1 (Peter Grozos) def by. Solomon Islands 3 (Raynolds Boboria, Richard Sale x 2)

U12 Girls NSW Metro Thunder 2 (Darcey Malone, Gemma Morgan) def by. Queensland Metro 4 (Jamilla Rankin x 2, Mica Robinson, Tivi Williams)

U13 Boys Victoria Magic 5 (Nicholas Kyranakis, Dennis Menelaou, Luca Tevere, Nicholas Theodosiou x 2) def. Queensland Metro 2 (Arthur Antonis, Jack Beardsley)

U14 Boys NSW Metro Thunder 4 (Ashton Ahluwalia, Daniel Goni x 2, Lucas Rainbird) def on pens (3-1). Queensland Metro 4 (Josh Deam, Byron Mcleod, Leum Walpole, Thomas Whittaker)

U14 Girls NSW Metro Thunder 3 (Emily Bastow, Madeleine Kowalenko, Natalie Roubickova) def. NSW Metro Lighting 1 (Isabella Di Sipio)

U15 Boys NSW Metro Lighting 3 (Marcus Bimbilovski, Ryan Tran, Matheus Borges Rodrigues OG) def by. FFSA 4 (Matheus Borges Rodrigues, Lachlan Gow, Jozef Kogoj, Louis Nye)

U16 Boys NSW Metro Thunder 6 (Michael Borg, Hayden Macerola x 4, Mitchell Whalley) def. Queensland Metro 2 (Ben Button, Duncan Stewart)

U16 Girls NSW Metro Thunder 1 (Georgia Koutzoumis) def. FFSA 0

U19 Men NSW Metro Thunder 3 (Kaan Kilinc, Michael Loupis, Matthew Mazevski) def. ACT Boomerangs Blue 1 (Nicholas Rathjen)

U19 Women NSW Metro Thunder 1 (Natalie Penman) def by on pens (4-5). NSW Metro Lighting 1 (Cassidy Chidgey)

Open AWD Mixed NSW Metro Thunder 0 def by. Queensland Metro 1 (Joshua Long)


VALENTINE SPORTS PARK, 235-257 MEURANTS LANE, GLENWOOD

PENRITH VALLEY REGIONAL SPORTS CENTRE, HERBERT STREET, CAMBRIDGE PARK

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VENUE MAPS


THE CENTRE, 1 PELLITT LANE, DURAL

SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK SPORTS CENTRE, OLYMPIC BOULEVARD, SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK

BLACKTOWN LEISURE CENTRE, STANHOPE PARKWAY & SENTRY DRIVE, STANHOPE GARDENS

VENUE MAP MODE 1 VENUE MAP MODE 2

VENUE MAPS



8

BY RUSS GIBBS

2016 RETROSPECTIVE

As ever the 2016 FFA National Futsal Championships provided a fitting start to the New Year as teams from around Australia gathered in Sydney to lock horns for the right to be crowned National Champions.

The always strong NSW Metro Thunder came away with seven titles from the eleven finals played on Grand Final day at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre whilst there was silverware for Queensland Metro, FFSA, Victoria Magic, NSW Metro Lightning and international guests the Solomon Islands.

NSW Metro Thunder emerged victorious in the showpiece U19 Men’s competition as two second half goals from Matthew Mazevski helped the hosts to a 3-1 win over ACT Boomerangs Blue. Mazevski added to a goal from Kaan Kilinc to help Thunder to victory with his second strike coming shortly after Nicholas Rathjen had given the Boomerangs a potential lifeline.

There was to be no double at the senior level in the U19 Women’s for Thunder as NSW Metro Lightning upset the apple-cart with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory after an absorbing match had ended all-square at 1-1. Natalie Penman had given the Thunder the lead in the first half, striking six minutes before the interval, but an equaliser after the break from Cassidy Chidgey ensured extra-time.

The extra period brought no further goals and the match was decided by the lottery of penalties. Both teams were going well but Thunder goalkeeper Dana Buttigieg was the unlucky player to see who shot saved which left Lightning celebrating with the trophy at the conclusion.

Earlier in the day the Solomon Islands had kicked off proceedings with an emphatic display, seeing off NSW Metro Thunder 3-1 in an exciting match in the U12 Boys Final. Richard Sale scored twice for the Pacific Islands visitors with Raynolds Boboria adding the third. A late goal from Peter Grozos was mere consolation for Thunder but both teams showed huge promise for the future.

Jamilla Rankin netted twice for Queensland Metro as they claimed the U12 Girls crown with a 4-2 win over NSW Metro Thunder. Queensland roared out of the blocks and led 3-0 at the interval after goals from Tivi Williams, Rankin and Mica Robinson. Thunder gave themselves brief hope when Darcy Malone scored but Rankin’s second of the match meant that a late goal from Gemma Morgan was in vain.

Victoria Magic proved just that in the U13 Boys Grand Final as goals from Nicholas Kyranakis, Giovanni Stellitano (2), Nicholas Theodosiou and Dennis Menelaou saw them overturn a 1-2 deficit to win the trophy with a 5-2 win over Queensland Metro.

At U14 level there was a thrilling Boys final as NSW Thunder Metro and Queensland Metro went to penalties

after a 4-4 draw. Josh Dearn put the Maroons in front only for Daniel Goni to equalise for the Sydneysiders. However, further goals from Byron McLeod, Thomas Whittaker and Leum Walpole had Queensland in polo position at 4-1 before Thunder staged a remarkable comeback.

Ashton Ahluwalian and Goni gave them hope before a late equaliser from Lucas Rainbird sent an amazing match into extra-time. There were no further goals and it came down to penalties with Queensland scorer McLeod missing his spot-kick before goalkeeper Bailey Togiavalu slammed home the winning penalty.

The U14 Girls final was no less exciting as NSW Thunder Metro defeated NSW Metro Lightning 3-1. Emily Barstow, Natalie Roubickova and Madeliene Kowalenko were the Thunder scoring heroines. In the U15 Boys Final FFSA were victorious by the odd-goal in seven as they downed NSW Metro Lightning. Matheus Borge, Jozef Kogoj, Lachlan Gow and Louis Nye settled the match in favour of the South Australians.

Meanwhile, a four-goal haul from Hayden Macerola was the highlight in the U16 Boys final as NSW Thunder Metro proved too string for a resilient Queensland Metro, winning the tie 6-2. Michael Borg was instrumental for the victors, teeing up Macerola for two goals and scoring one himself in an excellent individual performance that, combined with his team mates’ excellence, proved too much for their opponents.

Finally, a single goal proved the difference in the U16 Girls showdown as Georgia Koutzoumis netted midway through the second half as NSW Thunder Metro edged past worthy opposition in the form of FFSA to claim the trophy.

*TEAM LISTINGS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

TEAM LISTS

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footballaustralia.com.au

1 Callan Amey2 Noah Logan3 Noah Fior4 Ayham Nasser5 Leo McGill6 Jacob Murta7 Sam Van Dunk8 Ethan Yuen9 Declan Napier10 Joshua Hedditch

1 Nicholas Woolley2 Edan Herlihy3 Thomas Visser4 Braxton Meinel5 Jayden Young6 Isaac Rocca7 Sebastian Tuohy8 Jacob Jones9 Sebastian Mercuri10 Nicholas Robinson Coach: Rod Del NidoTeam Manager: Joao (Filipe) Nogueira

1 Connor Damsma2 Diesel Herrington3 Sam Keogan4 Luke Broderick5 Alexander Kiers6 Maxx Demerutis7 Andre Shegog8 Caden Penniket9 Ethan Bengino16 James Khan Coach: Scott PrickettTeam Manager: Amanda Greenland

1 Jack Bates-Brownsword2 Jake Tones3 Daniel Bradshaw-Scott4 Ned Styles5 Panashe Madanha6 Joshua Swan7 Calum Campbell8 Cameron McMonagle9 Joshua Sitters12 Wil Carter

Coach: Shane HillmanTeam Manager: Victor Claye

1 Jordan Olds2 Kai Adachi3 Jarome Charan4 Zach Cianci5 Johva Damevski6 Felix Dover7 Blake Price8 Alexander Menelaou9 James Rallis10 Jack Pope11 Orlando Ncube12 Clay Rogers

Coach: David JacksonTeam Manager: Daniel Rizio

2 Taiga Matoba3 Fab De Abreu4 Shade Stewart5 Mason Gallagher6 Joshua Cala7 Adam Csontos8 Thomas Hart9 Liam Sweeny22 Kade White33 Josh Foster Coach: Sean D’ ArcyAssistant: Garry: Church

1 Dyllan Argent2 James O’Toole3 Thomas George4 Gabe Bowering5 Mitchell Cornolo6 Edward Barnard7 James White8 Julian Rodriguez9 Koji Tamakuni-Keast18 Summer Justham Coach: Gary LedsonTeam Manager: Liber Milans

1 Liam Davis2 Angus Angelatos3 Gerry Angelatos4 Jack Corrigan5 Joshua De Lacy-Turner6 Mark Kihara7 Mubashar Doostizadah8 Ben Dunbar9 Xavier Fernandez10 Samuel Nasso11 Thomas Jackson13 Vasilios Prassinos

Coach: Dietmar SchaffnerTeam Manager: Michael Schaffner

1 James William Maeseni2 Chris Talo3 Sammy Jnr Lalo4 Alden Rafita Suri5 Owen Bunabo6 Francis Kwaifi’i7 Jason Timi8 Henry Anderson Doraouou9 Albert Jnr Maole10 David Kafaikao

U12 BOYS ACT

U12 BOYS FFSA BLUE

U12 BOYS QUEENSLAND METRO

U12 BOYS FFSA RED

U12 BOYS VICTORIA MAGIC

U12 BOYS WA BLACK SWANS

U12 BOYS FFSA DEVELOPMENT

U12 BOYS VICTORIA RANGERS

U12 BOYS SOLOMON ISLANDS


TEAM LISTS

10


1 Reilly Yuen2 Jordan Ujdur3 Elke Aitolu4 Emma Ilijoski5 Alexia Forner6 Josephine Dubbert7 Maria Pachi

1 Lilian Geale2 Leah Geale3 Latisha Babic4 Bessie Riethmuller5 Maia Cameron6 Luella Coleman7 Audrey McLaren8 Nina Zarevac9 Meg Roden10 Lara Sweeney

1 Jamilla Rankin2 Jordyn Weckert3 Annika Paulsen4 Lillie Hughes5 Emily L’Ecluse6 Candice Lavis7 Holly Gray8 Mica Robinson9 Ryleigh Saunderson10 Talia Sanders Coach: Paul OwenTeam Manager: Shannon Weckert

1 Emlyn Cross2 Alex Parkes3 Joseph Calusic4 Matteo Guerra5 Callum Powell6 Luka Gwozdecky7 Joseph Hatem8 Jared Macerola9 Connor Stamatis10 Stefano Rossello

Coach: Adam BarberaAssistant: Jamie Dib

1 Hunter Strudwick2 Sophie McGrath3 Emma Hauptman4 Emily Gale5 Julia Paneras6 Mia McGranaghan7 Nicola Scalzi8 Ereni Vithoulkas9 Alana Spirou10 Alanah Ursino Coach: Steven BennTeam Manager: Sharee Mcnamara

1 Chloe Carmichael2 Amity Jackson3 Pene Bonovas4 Nyssa Castillo5 Gemma Morgan6 Olivia Schembri7 Charlize Rule8 Shedin Jabour9 Darcey Malone10 Isabella Chidiac

Coach: Oscar Gonzales

1 Jakson Zalaiskalns2 Damon Pratt3 Timothy O’Keefe4 Jasper Mar 5 Dimitri Duta6 Mason Donadel7 Heath Crossingham8 Liam Coulson-Knight9 Kobie Close10 Broc Barbaric

Coach: Adam ScimoneAssistant: Callum Christie

1 Charlotte Gatehouse2 Anika Dovaston3 Laura Pickett4 Elissa Branson5 Gemma Leo6 Holly Murray7 Erin Keyt8 Matina Rovas9 Erin Stamatopoulos10 Ocean Smith11 Jessica Young12 Tate Ascott

Coach: John SugunananthanTeam Manager: Ashleigh Phipps-Nelson

U13 GIRLS QLD METRO U13 GIRLS FNSW METRO THUNDERU13 GIRLS VICTORIA

U13 GIRLS FFSAU13 GIRLS ACT BLUEU13 GIRLS ACT GOLD

U12 BOYS FNSW COUNTRYU12 BOYS FNSW METRO LIGHTNINGU12 BOYS FNSW METRO THUNDER

1 Carlos Ramos Aguire2 Toby Priestman3 Fenn Hodgson-Yu4 Byron Kay5 Jett Mc Cue Shore 6 Jesse Photi7 Tanna Bellear8 Franco Farinella9 Jake Girdwood-Reich10 Kaidyn Wright

Coach: Charlie Mellino


TEAM LISTS

11



1 Clare Holder2 Lilly Thomas3 Chantelle Maniti4 Peyton Crye5 Sharina Harris6 Madeleine Malone7 Saskia Vos8 Aurelia Collins9 Leisel Collins10 Bronte Connolly

Coach: Adam Davidson

1 Zachary Austin2 Callum Cook3 Joda Robinson4 Daniel Galic5 Michael Galic6 Jack Peraic-Cullen7 Jacob Garner8 Bailey Sorenson9 Aidan Milicevic10 Jakov Matic11 William Buckmaster

1 Christopher Djelovic2 Oliver White3 Ryan McInness4 Marcus Pereira5 Caden Schmidt6 Gianluca Tomasoni7 Ryan Harraway8 Nicholas Bevilacqua9 Alfie Haestier10 Jayden Emery Coach: Bruno CannavanTeam Manager: Jaye Messina

1 Tiahna Robertson3 Emma Bates4 Teagan Douglas5 Kirsty Fenton6 Jannali Hunter7 Leia Puxty8 Emma Shipperlee9 Alannah Russell10 Mona Walker11 Chloe Smith

Coach: Daniel CampbellAssistant: Ryan CampbellTeam Manager: Kerry Conquest

1 Lachlan Fusco2 Ethan Nassau3 Haruka Yanadori4 Nicholas Aretzis5 Alexander Tsimopoulos6 Raphael Borges Rodrigues7 Lachlan Hewson8 Noah McNamara9 Yaya Dukuly18 Joshua Kavenagh Coach: Steve WhiteheadTeam Manager: Matthew Mays

1 Jack Centofanti2 Connor Thompson3 Harry Smythe4 Isaac Mayo5 Justin Kattenberg6 Aidan Dohnaiek8 Ziggy Crook Coach: Yuan UrdanaviaTeam Manager: Brad Mayo

1 Tara Bailey2 Harriet Shuttleworth3 Kate Duffy4 Casey Johnson5 Zoey Anderson6 Kimberly Trappett7 Tess Vaccari8 Bronte Wright9 Rosie Sullivan10 Lucy Berryman

Coach: Samuel Gray

1 Luc Evans2 James Athanasopoulos3 Edward Caglioti4 Aidan Croucher5 Sabastian Corsello7 Marcus Di Meo8 Thomas Pisani9 Thomas Lambiris10 Francis Mah11 Daniel Mendonca12 Kristian Bacic13 Joshua Jackson

Coach: Jack DugonjicTeam Manager: Andrew Campbell

1 Amy Orphanides2 Ryna Prasad3 Sophia Konstandinidis4 Taylor Bondy5 Alyssa Schwereb6 Amelia Savetta7 Olivia Sloan8 Isabella Sciberras9 Scarlet Thomas10 Maddison van Dijk

Coach: Demelza Howard

U13 GIRLS FNSW COUNTRY WEST

U13 GIRLS FNSW COUNTRY NORTHU13 GIRLS FNSW METRO STORM

U13 BOYS ACT U13 BOYS FFSA

U13 BOYS VICTORIA U13 BOYS QLD NTH REGIONALU13 BOYS QLD METRO

U13 GIRLS FNSW METRO LIGHTNING


TEAM LISTS

12


1 Zac Begetis2 Tomas Butkovic3 Jaidyn Dunn4 Nicholas Mitrevski5 Brandon Slunjski 6 Lee Thoroughgood7 Joel Bertolissio8 Zayne Ahluwalia9 Dylan Chau10 Peter Grozos

Coach: Brett Hewitt

1 Carlos Karam2 John-Paul Cooper3 Declan Croucher4 Nicholas Kyranakis5 Patrick Fiyalko6 Todd Rogers7 Guillaume Chinapen8 Sam Thynne9 Luca Tevere11 Sebastian Wickert13 Thanasi Matziaris Coach: Petr KratkyTeam Manager: David Broadbent

1 Blake Sanchez Cruz2 Ross Skiadaresi3 Daniel Bozic4 Dean Skiadaresi5 Samuel Tzanakes6 Dylan Kanjo7 Clayton Rasmussen8 Corby Fowler9 Eddie Caspers10 Robert Bozic

Coach: Bruno De NebragoTeam Manager: Marcos- Victor Goncalves

1 Rian Del Nido2 Daniel Bressan 3 Gusmao Naidoo7 Bradley Ramsey8 Nathan Dimou9 Yohann Mithaiwala10 Harvey Halliday11 Johnathon Kasmeridis19 Max Williams21 Paul Leombruno Coach: David NyeTeam Manager: Julie Ocego-Kingsley

1 Andre Markov2 Andreas Avgerinos3 Jordan Bucello4 Dylan Dameyski5 Max Dementiev6 Kye Di Marco7 Adam Halliday8 Adam El Hayek9 Marcus Fernandez10 Jamie Ranzolin11 Louis Hasapis13 Connor Irwin

Coach: Kon KyranakisTeam Manager: Emmanuel Katakis

1 Isaac Parkinson2 Tarkan Calay3 Jonathan Codemo4 Thomas Dunn5 Dean Efstathiou6 Joonas Mcdermott7 Cooper Stormonth8 Kai Watts9 William Polkinghorne10 William Provino

Coach: Andrew Fearnley

1 Ciaran Wunderer2 Sam Styles3 Eli Petersen5 Ben Spadavecchia6 Fergus Morgan7 Kailan Challinger8 Bailey Biedenweg9 Jordan Velthuizen-Kuchel10 Joshua Hunt18 Nicholas Devlin Coach: Stephen GardenTeam Manager: Marie Irrgang

U14 BOYS VICTORIA RANGERSU14 BOYS VICTORIA MAGIC

U14 BOYS FFSA

U14 BOYS FFSA REGIONAL

U13 BOYS FNSW COUNTRY

U13 BOYS FNSW METRO LIGHTNINGU13 BOYS FNSW METRO THUNDER

1 Kim Whitney2 Steven Bunabo3 Travis Sau4 Fred Jnr Ale5 Patteson Junior Kiko6 Raphael Le’ai7 John Fred Wasike8 Sammy Laui9 William Tahariu10 Frankster Sura’au Rukumana

U14 BOYS SOLOMON ISLANDS

1 Seb Medica2 Ben Merrey3 James Nixon4 Carl Jankowitz5 Laurence Gurney6 William Gallagher7 Dexter Hard8 Connor McCafferty9 Jamie Kempson10 Jamie Swan Coach: Salv TodaroAssistant Coach: Alex Novatsis



TEAM LISTS

13



1 Brayden Cotter2 Bryce Cummings3 Tim Buckley4 Brendan Riped-Morris5 Oscar Dohnaiek6 Lachlan Bawden7 Lachlan Young8 Dalton Cox9 Ethan ramsbotham16 Declan Dawson Coach: Craig PerfectTeam Manager: Alma Ridep-Morris

1 Sasha Chilas2 Carlos Barriga3 Ethan De Melo4 Dimitri Kostopoulos5 Jacob Maniti6 Rocco Mellino7 Zac Sapsford8 Lachlan Sepping9 Adam Strasser10 Emmanuel Tzanakes

Coach: Lachlan Wright

1 Olivia Riddel2 Isabella Tammaro3 Stella De Marco4 Claire Orton5 Lily Martens6 Jasmin Webb7 Lucy D’Arcy8 Elissa Youill9 Alex McKenzie10 Chloe Rudd

1 Hein Kuyler2 Drew Boylan3 Josh Carson4 Sam Fleming5 Hayden Moynihan6 James Stromquist7 Bryce Hibberd8 Hayden Wessel9 Connor Demerutis16 Ethan Elsmore Coach: John DixonTeam Manager: Dean Bourne

1 Brodie Volkiene2 Isaac Wardle3 Ben Tapsell4 Thomas Quilligan5 Yanni Plataniotis6 Bayley Lowe7 Mitchell Heapy8 Luca Doorbar Baptist9 Nicholas Bakopoulos10 Jeremy Siarakas

Coach: Jack Richardson

1 Erin Murphy2 Jasmine Biddle3 Ellie Sparrow4 Annie Green5 Jessica Signoriello6 Lara Kirkby7 Grace Lukac8 Amber-may Smith9 Kirsten Pett10 Isabella Paradiso Coach: Gary McgrathTeam Manager: Gina Scalzi

1 Sean McCracken2 Taylor Thain3 Ryan Ellison4 Liam Ellison5 Cody Bingham6 Khairul Muhammad7 Joshua Ban8 Kindle Valderrama9 Ramtin Ghaseifar Coach: Mohammad MaherAssistant Coach: Alex Novatsis

1 Jordan Bruce2 Riley Nicholl3 Kye Halloway4 Ben Smith5 Jacob Mitchell6 Beau Harvey7 Daniel Rogan8 Jadyn Slater9 Luke Stevens10 Luke Thompson

Coach: Stanley HallAssistant: Callum Christie

1 Connor Robinson2 Jordan Zappala4 Jack Beardsley5 Brodie Boyce6 Theophile Karenzo7 Arthur Antonis8 Izaiah Aionio9 Zen Crethary10 Ewan Gordon16 Joshua Croft Coach: Steve BeardsleyTeam Manager: Jeremy Stewart

U15 GIRLS FFSAU15 GIRLS ACT

U14 BOYS FNSW METRO THUNDER U14 BOYS FNSW METRO LIGHTNING

U14 BOYS FNSW COUNTRY


U14 BOYS QLD STH REGIONALU14 BOYS QLD NTH REGIONALU14 BOYS QLD METRO


TEAM LISTS

14


1 Lateisha Wilkins2 Bronti Hodgkinson3 Tia Brockfield4 Victoria Franklin5 Dominque Spampinato6 Isabella Palu7 Chloe Hutton8 Isabelle Harris9 Madison Lockwood10 Sarah Holland Coach: Malcolm: PaluTeam Manager: Samantha Edwards

1 Kira Maggio2 Chantelle Symes3 Emily Bastow4 Sara Comert5 Karlee Hildebrandt6 Victoria Martin7 Vesna Milivojevic8 Laura Montiel9 Natalie Roubickova10 Isabella Said

Coach: Tiana Gauci

1 Holly Black2 Maree Cirillo3 Sarah Colman4 Georgie Lewis5 Kayla Jenkiund6 Ellen Rimmer7 Brianna Trappett8 Bronte Trew9 Georgina Markovich10 Sophie Emery

Coach: Douglas McKenzie

1 Nikita Markey3 Carolina Canale4 Maddison Kimber5 Kijah Stephenson6 Lillian Howes7 Jayde Redman8 Tayla Zielke16 Milee Flanders16 Emma White Coach: Fiona StevensonTeam Manager: Mechalle Kimber

1 Ashley Purcell2 Emma Vandervelde3 Anna Vasallo4 Natalie Vukovic5 Holly Newman 6 Ella Martins7 Jasmine Limon8 Greta Kraszula9 Monique Holder10 Chloe Gordon

Coach: Jamie Amendolia

1 Benjamin Cooper2 Vincent Stephenson3 Ben Woollard4 Jordan Mugford5 Jaiden Diamantis6 Julian Vella7 James Dello Iacono8 Joshua Benn9 Emmanuel Verbi10 James Bates-Brownsword Coach: Antonio ScalziTeam Manager: Emilio Librandi

U15 BOYS FFSAU15 GIRLS FNSW COUNTRY WEST

U15 GIRLS FNSW METRO THUNDER U15 GIRLS FNSW METRO LIGHTNING

1 Courtney Vierra2 Victoria Wright3 Cameron Barreiro4 Taneesha Baker5 Kayla McCulloch6 Kate Covic7 Phoebe Bryant8 Zoee Spandano9 Siobahn Connolly Coach: Jess SardiAssistant Coach: Garry Church

1 Jordan Weizman3 Molly Arens4 Alyssa Togo - Paragalli5 Chelsea Williams6 Hannah Jones7 Zoe Burnley8 Emmeline Pepper9 Bronte Peel10 Tessa Tamplin

Coach: Scott OliverAssistant: Ryan CampbellTeam Manager: Peta Burnley

U15 GIRLS FNSW COUNTRY NORTH

U15 GIRLS WA BLACK SWANS

U15 GIRLS QLD STH REGIONALU15 GIRLS QLD METRO

1 Zoe Titmus2 Francesca Brand3 Greta Jowett Smith4 Megan Fitzsimon5 Rosie Collins-Graham6 Niamh McLure7 Elissa Mori8 Jacqueline Lemieux9 Anna Peers-Barlow10 Elissa Sugunananthan11 Sarah Fitzpatrick12 Sara Bayley

Coach: Krystal MccluskeyTeam Manager: Stephanie Tanti

U15 GIRLS VICTORIA


TEAM LISTS

15



1 Colby Jones 2 Josh Allen3 Isaac Boulton4 Gus Coleman5 Joe Dunbar6 Akshat Singh7 Tom Fogarty8 So Nishikawa9 George Murrihy10 Hamish McRae11 Edward Bradnam13 Niko Verrios

Coach: Kogulan SabaratnamTeam Manager: Gregory Lazcaris

1 Harrison Barlow2 Jyi Oakes3 Jack Greenland4 Joshua Dearn5 Harry Fletcher6 Kaleb Gooley7 Jack Bolton8 Leum Walpole9 Thomas Whittaker16 Nick Brown Coach: Andrew GreenlandTeam Manager: Julian Edwards

1 Darcy Newell2 Adam Gilmore3 Hunter Hayes4 James Lowe5 Lachlan Clacher6 Kyle Cummings7 Tyson Whyburn8 Ben Payne9 Adam O’Connell

Coach: Scott Mutton

1 Joshua Clarke2 Riley Sears3 Harry Fenwick4 Marc Stofberg5 Zainal Dass6 Sam Hirst8 Noah Bray9 Jaya McLaughlin16 Nathan Millis Coach: Jimmy CairneyTeam Manager: Rick Zimmerlie

1 Malcolm Murta2 Miguel Da Silva3 Nicolas Felizzi4 Jamie-Lee Guo5 Gabriel Osinga6 Adam Forner7 William Manalo8 Deakin Jewell9 Murphy Shaw

U16 BOYS ACT

U15 BOYS FNSW COUNTRYU15 BOYS FNSW METRO LIGHTNING

U15 BOYS QLD STH REGIONAL

U15 BOYS FNSW METRO THUNDER

U15 BOYS QLD METROU15 BOYS VICTORIA

1 Oskar Beck3 Angelo Kalamvokis4 Jayden Smileski 5 Andrew Holder6 Daniel Goni8 Samuel Amey9 Lucas Rainbird10 Nathan Tohme

Coach: Danny Beauchamp

1 Mitchell Tran2 Charles Cross3 Jackson Angelou4 Sasha Kusevski5 Bradley Tapp6 Zac Reardon7 Gianni Fragomeli8 Ryan Duffy9 Daniel Geroski10 William Gafa

Coach: Mark Cotter

1 Declan Burchell2 Lachlan Gow3 Logan Marley-McFall5 Matheus Borges Rodrigues6 Alexander Muscat7 Finley Dunford9 Louis Nye10 Philip Cash17 Jozef Kogoj24 Nicholas Scalzi Coach: Christopher HigginsTeam Manager: Neil Styles

U16 BOYS FFSA

1 Archie Beattie2 Raphael Aleksenitser3 Gera Bilyansky4 Liam Croucher5 Michael Klonaris6 Aidan McLure7 Jackson Shaw8 Joshua Lauretta9 James Tsafkas10 Michael Tzoutzidis11 Virack To12 John Dib

Coach: Harry AmiridisTeam Manager: Tolga Akturk

U16 BOYS VICTORIA METRO


TEAM LISTS

16


1 Ellessia Rinaldi2 Sophie Magus3 Kya Stewart4 Nicole Besz5 Georgia Koutzoumis6 Hannah Rose Davey7 Tanya Borazio8 Christina Mcgrath9 Crystal Overton10 Danika Matos11 Georgia Manos

Coach: Bobby MazevskiAssistant: Walter Del

1 Luke Evans2 Connor Lawrence3 Mitchell Bridge5 William Kirkwood6 Rhys Buick7 Ulukan Ciftci8 Thomas Maude9 Joshua matcham16 Lachlan Bosworth Coach: Mohammad ReghabiTeam Manager: Jess Dillon

1 Daniel Di Stefano2 Vincent Breckenridge3 Joshua Delnido4 Harrison Evenden6 Kayne Kotevski7 Kerem Kilinc8 Nathan Labrakis9 Jordan Smylie10 Nikita Parkes

Coach: Ernie Bivona

1 Connor Morrison2 Nicholas Chatfield3 Nicholas Jackson4 Aidan Norris5 Cohen Read6 Matthew Sobczak7 Patrick Stromquist Coach: Lucas ReadTeam Manager: Aaron Bakker

1 Lachlan Curran2 Gareth Veitch3 Jackson Balmer4 Fraser Corscadden5 Jordan Sartor6 Zane Huxley7 Sebastian Arancibia8 Harrison Ellem9 Conor McLean10 Santino Swanson-Manuel

Coach: Rocco Marando

1 Jayden Ashmore2 Jesse Bartlett3 Bailey Burgess4 Otto Eldridge5 Mitchell Findlay6 Patrick Heagney7 Jude Jeandet8 Billy Mroczkowski9 Marcus Parini10 Jalil Regague11 Mitchell Todd13 Oscar Waters

Coach: Andrew BurgessAssistant: Dermott TebbTeam Manager: Rhys Casley

1 Andres Nolan2 Jack Vandervelde3 Ryan Tran4 Sam Immerschmitt5 Kieren Brodnik6 Euan Thum-Davidson7 Marcus Bimbilovski8 Andre Taouil9 Mitchell Ward10 Adam Nisbett

Coach: James Gilligan

1 Amy Abbey2 Isobel D’Amico3 Grace Basser-Silk4 Ivana Galic5 Ashlyn Garrity6 Alicia Meuronen7 Cecilija Matic

U17 GIRLS FNSW METRO THUNDERU17 GIRLS ACT

U16 BOYS FNSW COUNTRYU16 BOYS FNSW METRO LIGHTNING

U16 BOYS QLD METRO U16 BOYS QLD STH REGIONAL

U16 BOYS FNSW METRO THUNDER

U16 BOYS VIC COUNTRY WEST

1 Matilda Comley2 Amelia Rootsey-Gratton3 Ashlee Hanselman4 Velvet Klass5 Brooke Hanselman6 Chroran Kurban7 Dalyce Jenner8 Alexia Scalzi9 Caitlin Iuliano10 Angelica Mccarron Coach: Tony MansuetoTeam Manager: Emma Wiltshire

U17 GIRLS FFSA


TEAM LISTS

17



1 Samantha Fulwood3 Christina Grauer-Kompos4 Larissa Kilby5 Carla Crapis6 Charlotte Duffy7 Corinne Krupa8 Teegan Hall9 Jazmine Zabel10 Meredith Cheyne

Coach: Michael Godbier

1 Jake Nalder2 Jordan Vieira3 Luke Devitt4 Dallas Dack5 Patrick Moore6 Taj Hudson7 Jez Lofthouse8 Griffin Bambach9 Ben Parkinson10 Oliver Blackmore16 Gavin Stein Coach: Yoel JogionoTeam Manager: Greg Urlich

1 Jonathan Temple2 Conor Irwin3 Harrison Bagot4 Samuel De Oliveira5 Bradley Wright6 Cameron Wright7 Jordan Pyne8 Anthony Haddad9 Matthew Mazevski10 Robbie Delbanco11 Jacob Basden12 Michael Kouta

Coach: Miles Downie

1 Emma Gidney2 Phoebe Rudd3 Holly Caspers4 Olivia Hardaker5 Leila Hezlett6 Ashley Kotevski7 Lauren Pruscino8 Ebony Mc Cue Shore9 Sarah Moore10 Mariah Peever

Coach: Steven Tzanakes

1 Nathan Meneses2 Matthew Bucello3 Alan Damen4 Campbell Dovaston5 Arran Dunbar6 Hugo Leo8 Liam McLure9 Alexander Timms10 Trent Winter11 Jayden Zahra12 James Hardy Coach: Jaroslav DedicAssistant: Johnny MenesesTeam Manager: Singkik Li

1 Joseph Yammine2 Jordan Winckle3 Marco Turpeinen4 Marino Trimboli5 Thomas Telling6 Harrison Taranto7 Dion Sterjovski8 Alexei Rosser9 Ted Patroulias10 Hayden Macerola11 Michael Borg12 Chris Barbera

Coach: Mark SymingtonAssistant: Dominique Helene

1 Veronica Ptak-Zylka2 Brittany Waugh3 Kayla Miller Gorce5 Sarah McDonald6 Caitlin English7 Amber Glew8 Kirra-Lee Wallace9 Charley Rayner10 Isabella Rankin

Coach: Vini De OliveiraTeam Manager: Mariel Hecher

U17 GIRLS FNSW METRO LIGHTNING U17 GIRLS FNSW COUNTRY

U19 MEN VICTORIA U19 MEN FNSW METRO LIGHTNINGU19 MEN FNSW METRO THUNDER

U19 MEN QLD METRO

1 Hayley McLachlan2 Jessica Giovinazzo3 Sophie Rolfe4 Alex Martens5 Iesha Flores6 Hope O’Leary7 Stephanie Smith8 Tiana Malnar9 Rachel Corbett

U19 WOMEN ACT U19 WOMEN QLD METROU19 WOMEN VICTORIA

1 Madeleine Nobbs2 Chloe Cini3 Rebecca Niclasen4 Daniella Galluccio5 Daniela Gudelj6 Emma Gross7 Grace Norbury8 Emily Pezos9 Kasmira Schneider10 Elisabeth Robers11 Sarah Claxton-Vicars12 Elizabeth Sarcevic

Coach: Samuel MlynarzTeam Manager: Kristen Stensholt


TEAM LISTS

18


1 Tahlor Thackray3 Daisy Arrowsmith4 Hannah Charak5 Alexia Guerinoni6 Ashlie Crofts7 Rhianna Pollicina8 Abigail Jordan9 Natalie Penman10 Emma Hurley11 Nadia Nisbet

Coach: Stephen Peters

1 Miriam Bartlett3 Raegan Deeley 4 Bianca Dobson5 Renee Blackmore6 Bethany Gordon7 Nicole Stuart8 Emily Kos9 Erin Hobday10 Samantha Grant11 Zoe Halpin12 Chloe Hinde

Coach: Jamie Amendolia

U19 WOMEN FNSW METRO THUNDER U19 WOMEN FNSW METRO LIGHTNING



1 Cameron Gudgeon2 Shaun Gower3 Glenn Pannell4 Mark Olivieri5 Liam O’Donnell6 Chistian Valeri7 Jason Driscoll8 Adrian Araya9 Rhys Hill10 Andrew Hoatson

OPEN AGE AWD MIXED

1 Christopher Thompson2 Rhys Baker3 Toby Sutherland4 Bradley Bettens5 Samuel Mills6 Brandon Venables7 Sean Guster8 Robert Mastrogiacomo Coach: Igor Ferrari NegraoTeam Manager: Paul Eichner

1 Katelyn Smith2 Nathan Whalen3 Zac Jones4 Patrick Mitchell5 Rocco Musemuci6 Mitchell Forrest7 Brad Southwell8 Nathan Nunn9 Alexander Hernandez10 Chris Smith11 David Evans12 Dion Kalogoris

Coach: Greg BrownTeam Manager: Kelly FishburnTeam Manager: Craig Muhlbock

1 Liam Glavas2 Matt Downham3 Elijah Bond4 James Duncan6 Brenton Heslehurst7 Josh Long8 Liam Amos9 Adrian Visscher10 Trent Warner16 Adam Davison Coach: Trudy BartlettTeam manager: Bevan Heslehurst

1 Jason Blackadder2 Nicole Simpson3 Liam Mackie4 Michael Wade5 Harry Woodhouse6 Cameron Fyfe7 Rodney Afif8 Sabastian Saura9 Raquel White11 Michael Dooley12 Dallas Starr

Coach: Danny ObradorsTeam Manager: Damian Briggs

2 Philip DeJong3 Brodie Leslie 4 Dean Foreman5 Selby Krushka7 Zane Cornelious8 Timothy Dixon11 Brad O’Neil-Geeves14 Mel Phillips22 Alan Dengate Coach: Steven OckerbyAssistant: Belinda KittoTeam Manager: Lorna Wilson

FFSA

FNSW METRO THUNDER

QUEENSLAND METRO

FNSW METRO LIGHTNING

NHC TASMANIA

In what has become one of the major ‘must-see’ parts of the FFA National Futsal Championships, the Athlete’s with Disability (AWD) tournament has continued to go from strength to strength showcasing the skills and abilities of some outstanding talent.

ACT


20

POWERCHAIR FOOTBALL

What is Powerchair Football?Powerchair football is a modified version of soccer specifically designed for athletes who use powered wheelchairs for everyday mobility. Played on a basketball court with an oversized ball, teams of four attack, defend and spin kick as they aim to score that winning goal.

Introduction to the A-league ChampionshipA-league clubs have been keen to support powerchair football, with all four New South Wales-based clubs – Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners – very happy to support the sport. With growth nationally, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City FC have also embraced the sport. The inaugural A-league Powerchair Football Championship will give us the chance to see who the top club team in Australia is. Our goal is to eventually have all A-league clubs supporting a powerchair football team.

Results for 2016Brisbane Roar powered through with a memorable 8-0 victory over the Central Coast Mariners.


nationalfutsalchampionships.com.au TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS

The FFA National Futsal Championship isn’t just about the players. This week will see a number of Australia’s finest and up-and-coming Futsal match officials take charge of the hundreds of games taking place throughout Sydney. The opportunity to officiate at the FFA National Futsal Championships is a huge honour and can provide a stepping stone for these match officials to further their individual representative careers.

With a number of matches scheduled across five different venues, the referees will have little time for rest over the course of an intensive week-long tournament.

All officials at the FFA National Futsal Championship will receive training and debriefing from a number

of experienced referee coaches also attending the tournament.

These coaches provide a valuable service to the tournament officials, being on hand at the venues to give feedback to the officials at the conclusion of their matches and to monitor the progress of the officials across the week in order to help them improve and take home practical refereeing tips that they can utilise throughout their refereeing career.

The evaluation process throughout the week plays a major part in the selection process of match officials for the Grand Final day at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre.

2017 FFA NATIONAL FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS

MALE FUTSAL REFEREES

Andrew Best NSW Giovanni Santoro NSW Lawrence Atkin ACT

Andrew Murray SA Guy Laurenceson NSW Manwel Limnios NSW

Anthony Mansour NSW Hamish Driver-Rae ACT Matthew McOrist NSW

Cameron Lee NSW Hope O'Leary ACT Matthew Ryan ACT

Cameron Shelton ACT James Nikoladis ACT Matthew Wearne NSW

Damon Van Putten ACT Jamie Ewin NSW Mitch Higgins SA

David Wiebe QLD Janush Adabjou NSW Nathan Pit ACT

Dion Bradley QLD Jared Katz NSW Naveh Dvir-Ovadia VIC

Duncan McLaren ACT Jason Wilman VIC Nick Backo NSW

Eamon White ACT Jonathon Moore NSW Noah Reynolds QLD

Fergus White ACT Jordan Lake NSW Owen Ferguson NSW

Gareth Biggs ACT Julian Nichols ACT Peter Liaros NSW

Lachlan Abood NSW Kaine Manell NSW Philip Di Matteo NSW

Sam Turner QLD Kyle Hockings NSW Rhys Pope QLD

Samuel Blake NSW Kyle Johnson NSW Thomas Stewart ACT

Zac Keenan QLD Zachary Hibbard NSW

FEMALE FUTSAL REFEREES

Georgia Ghirardello ACT Laura Hockings NSW Salma Aly NSW

Tara Brown NSW Tara Gilfillan ACT

FUTSAL REFEREE ASSESSORS & COACHES

Adrian Tamplin NSW Paul Jones NSW Ross Butler QLD

Darius Turner NSW Ray Grima SA Ryan Shepheard NSW

David Kurthi ACT Rob Porritt NSW


22

FEATURE STORY

FUTSALROOS DUO CALL TIME

Futsalroos stars Peter Spathis and Chris Zeballos have called time on their international career following the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2016 in Colombia. The duo, who together have over forty years of experience at the pinnacle of the sport, chose the global stage to bow out of the international level but whilst Spathis has hung up his gloves, Zeballos will continue to strut his stuff on the local stage.

It’s been quite a journey for the pair who were first thrust to the attention of the national team selectors at the FFA National Futsal Championships with the annual gathering of the country’s best and burgeoning talent a fertile breeding ground for future stars of the indoor game.

“One of the most memorable weeks growing up was the national titles where the best of the best compete to be crowned national champions,” Spathis recalled. “Having to play two or three games a day over five days showed me to the highest level of futsal in Australia and off course the different styles used by different states.

“The national titles exposed me to the Futsalroos at a very young age and also put me in good stead when touring with the national team, as there is a similar feel when going on tour and camp, as there are many new players that you have to get on with not only on the field but off it to achieve success.”

FOR SPATHIS THE DECISION TO CALL TIME ON HIS FUTSAL CAREER WAS, AFTER A LONG DECISION-MAKING PROGRESS, IN THE END AN EASY ONE.

“For me to get to a World Cup is the pinnacle of the sport and I thought it was the right time and place to call it a day from internationals and all club commitments,” he said. “I thought it was a fitting finale, a World Cup in 2016 – this was the time to do it. My motivation, and what drives me playing the sport, is the national team jersey and the day I gave the chance up of playing for the national team is the day I thought it was the best time to call it a day.

“There is no better feeling than making a World Cup and this is my third World Cup. The first time was through Oceania and the second two qualifying was through Asia and that feeling of qualification, being in the top four or five and being able to compete against the best, was up there. The 3-3 draw with Argentina in the Kuala Lumpur 5s is always a great memory for me.

“The results on this tour have shown the progression. The narrow loss to Ukraine was unlucky, and we grabbed our first win in 2012 against Mexico where we started to compete at the elite level, shown by our win here against

Mozambique. In boxing terms, pound for pound, there is no better team that competes on the World stage in Futsal. The resources that we have, and the program that is not professional, means that pound for pound we are up there.”

What next is the question that was on the lips of most Futsal followers when news of Spathis retirement was announced with his wealth of knowledge ready to be drawn on but the goalkeeper has no intention of donning a coaches’ tracksuit just yet.

“I am most looking forward to just being a Dad and looking after my kids,” Spathis revealed. “Just watching them grow up, taking them to sport, helping them with their schooling and going on holidays, that’s the nest part of my life. Who knows? In the next couple of years I may be back as a goalkeeper coach, but not for a couple of years yet!

“Without my wife, Katie, to be honest with you, I couldn’t have done this for 25 years. She has always been supportive, never nagged me, and always supported me from day dot. Your partner’s support is always a big thing, especially when you are travelling once or twice a year to all these tournaments all around the World. Without her, I wouldn’t be here, at 35 years old, retiring from the game in Colombia.”

It was a similar tale for goal-getter Zeballos who signed off his international career with a goal in the controversial reverse to Ukraine that ultimately signalled the Futsalroos exit from the tournament.

“I was about to get married, and we are probably looking to start a family in the next year or two so I feel like, with the injuries I have had in the past, that my body wouldn’t be right to go for another four years,” he said.

“And it’s a chance for the younger boys to have a go at the FIFA Futsal World Cup or the AFC Asian Championships.



FEATURE STORY

It was a pretty hard decision. I had to weigh up quitting my job before I came to the World Cup. That was one of the big decisions I made with my fiancée before we left, that and that this would be my last World Cup so I gave my all.

“I would say my first cap against Hong Kong is one of my most treasured memories. I didn’t score but the coach at the time, Scott Gilligan, said I had a really good debut and that probably set the platform for the rest of my international career. Probably, just how well I started scoring goals at the beginning is up there as well. I had a good goals to games ratio and the two World Cups are the biggest milestones and to score in the last game of my international career will be something I cherish in the future.”

AS WITH SPATHIS, THE WEEK-LONG FFA NATIONAL FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIPS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN ZEBALLOS’ HEART.

“Representing NSW at nationals was always an honour and privilege,” he recalled. “Every time I was selected I looked forward to playing with some of the best players in the country and current Futsalroos who I looked up to and wanted to prove that I belonged in the same arena.

“Before the F-League was introduced, the National titles down in Canberra was the pinnacle at national level and the competition helped me to develop and mature as a men's player and international. Playing nationals at junior level was fun but it was when you stepped up into the men's competition and became a champion that you now sit back and appreciate all the great moments on and off the court and the lifelong friends that I have made during my career.

“I will definitely be playing in the F-League with East Coast and in the Premier League with Inner West Magic so I am really looking forward to the next season. These

are tournaments that can give you a chance to play overseas, so I will definitely be there and am looking forward to it.”

THE AUSTRALIAN FUTSAL COMMUNITY STANDS AS ONE TO SALUTE TWO GENUINE LEGENDS OF THE NATIONAL GAME AND TWO EXCEPTIONAL ROLE MODELS FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION TO ASPIRE.

BY RUSS GIBBS

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